Frank Bill – interview

For the readers of Spinetingler—and crime fiction fans in general—Frank Bill is a familiar fixture. Bill was a part of the first group of writers spotlighted in Spinetingler’s Conversations with the Bookless series and was one of the first of that group to receive a book deal. For those who are familiar with Bill’s work, no one was surprised that the Indiana writer so quickly signed a deal. What was a surprise was the overall cultural impact and attention for which Bill’s debut short story collection, Crimes In Southern Indiana, has received.

Since its debut this past fall, the collection has received near universal praise for its rough hewn style and brutal originality. Salon.com even went so far as to compare Bill’s prose to Steinbeck. This past September I was lucky enough to sit down with Bill at Bouchercon to discuss Crimes In Southern Indiana, the roots of unique brand of storytelling, and his future writing projects.

Keith Rawson is a little-known pulp writer whose short fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, and interviews have been widely published both online and in print. He is the author of the short story collection The Chaos We Know (SnubNose Press)and Co-Editor of the anthology Crime Factory: The First Shift.(New Pulp Press) He lives in Southern Arizona with his wife and daughter.

7 Responses to Frank Bill – interview

Frank mentions Larry Brown (an author Vicki Hendricks first turned me on to a few years back–GREAT writer). I think about all the great books from last year and remain in awe of the authors. Frank Bill, Ben Whitemer’s, Lynn Kostoff and Michael Harris’ immediately jump to the forefront of my mind. Great stuff, Keith, as always. Frank (for me) is writing about Middle-America the way Hubert Selby Jr. did about my home town.

Really enjoyed this interview. Liked how Frank Bill talked about the influence of his family’s daily storytelling on his writing.

Crimes in Southern Indiana is on my must-buy list.

Jack on November 25, 2011 at 1:04 pm

So not only is Frank Bill the most exciting new crime writer around, grabbing everyone’s attention with his remarkable talent, it seems he’s a incredibly nice guy, too … exactly the type we’d all like to sit around that campfire with, drinking beer and shooting the shit. It’s F-ing disgusting. No man should be so blessed. I’m glad the video ended when it did. My day was nearly ruined.

Great interview. You know when you are reading something great when it resonates inside of you. Frank is one of those writers where you can really connect with characters and sense of place. I like that…. modern Steinbeck.

Michelle Isler on December 2, 2011 at 3:09 am

Excellent interview. I could talk to both of you guys all day long. Frank has just jumped out there with his book and everyone is loving it. Keith, it seems you are right there with your own book. Good luck guys. Thanks for the talk.